Sneaky Habits

This is no secret…you, my readers, are my inspiration. Your beauty qualms, questions and insider tips are the source of each post. Each entry carries a piece of you, so today I want to tackle a common skin care problem that plagues many of us but in particular my special “cookie dough” partner. She is the light of my eyes and her battle with acne has been a source of great discomfort for her, but I know there is a way to cure this and like all things the best way to treat something is right at it’s source.

What a lot of people may not realize is that there are some pesky culprits in your day to day activities that cause this continual facial eruption. From small mundane things you never thought twice about to more “duh, I know” aggravators these sneaky habits can be the root of the pimple.

The Sneaky Things that Cause Breakouts:

1. Your phone: I know, I know living without your blackberry or iPhone is like living without air. God forbid you miss a Facebook status post of a pseudo friend from your highschool days. But your phone is a breeding ground for bacteria. Just think of all the places it is and each time you hold it to your ear all that gunk ends up on your face….ever notice breakouts around the chin or ear area? So clean your phone on a daily basis with a natural bacterial wipe, read no Clorox (this may be a no brainer but bleach won’t be good for the pores either).

2. Your man: Did your heart just skip a beat or did this solidify the reason you should dump that dead beat? Here’s the thing, all the snuggling, cuddling and spooning means your face is all over his body. True fact: men’s skin produces more oils so all that skin time equals oil and sweat transfer from his body to your face. Now before you quit this blog cold turkey because of my “unconventional advice” just take a moment to think about this. I’m not preaching abstinence but just make sure you wash your face properly in the AM or after your cuddle time.

3. Your food: Yes chocolate can cause breakouts….same goes for fries, mac & cheese and pizza. Refined carbs and sugary foods spike insulin levels resulting in increased oil production which translates to more clogged pores.

4. Your workout: We already covered this one but it is a good reminder.

5. Your smoking habit: Seriously you should just know better but in case you need another friendly reminder here it is. With each smoke-filled inhale you release millions of toxins into your body and skin. This wrecks havoc on your natural defense system, good bacteria is replaced by bad, acne causing ones all. So if you haven’t been inspired enough for all the other legitimate reasons then perhaps this will be it!

6. Your hands: I often find myself holding my head up during a boring meeting or just simply resting it on my fingers but each time you touch your face, the oils from your hand do what? Do you see the theme yet? Yes, they transfer to your face and clog the pores. So consciously remind yourself to leave your face alone you have a neck for a reason.

Usage tip: To treat existing breakouts look for treatments with 1-2% salicylic acid (it will be listed on the back of the package) and make sure to thoroughly clean every AM and PM and follow with a bacteria fighting toner.

The result: No breakouts. No pimples. No stress.

The Right Way

It's interesting how the human psyche works, we have this weakness or susceptibility for things that we know are completely wrong for us...hmm where to start with examples? How about falling for the bad boy? Or buying one more pair of shoes when your closet can't bear to house one more? Better yet, having that extra piece of cake when you just know you shouldn't! I guess we are all fallible with the proper temptation. When it comes to our faces there's something nagging or irksome about a breakout.With an instant reflex we want it gone as fast as possible, and what's the most effective perceived way to get rid of a pimple? Oh come on you know but probably don't want to divulge. Let's face it there's nothing sexy about popping a mini crater on your face! I don't mean to be the parent but you probably know that they best way to avoid making this pimple a permanent landmark on your face is to leave it alone! Otherwise if you further irritate or even infect it there's a huge possibility that your face will form a hyperpigmentation spot. So with that I know every once in a while you will be tempted to just pop it. Again my official position (like a good politic an) is to leave it alone but if you have the rare breakout then there's a few guidelines you can follow to successfully and safely perform this forbidden procedure.

How to pop a pimple:
Not all pimples can or should be popped. Cystic or infected breakouts should be treated by a dermatologist only.However if you have a smaller pimple that has formed a head then you may be able to pop it.

1. It's best to first steam the skin by taking a hot shower. This helps open the pores open for a more gentler extraction.
2. Take a tissue for each hand and using your finger (not your nails which could cause scarring) gently push on two sides of the pimple till the white pus comes out. If this doesn't happen after a few attempts then it's best to leave the pimple alone as it hasn't come to a head yet.
3. Once the white part is out, gently keep pressing on the pimple area to also extract the blood that was trapped within the pimple. Be sure to clean up the blood with a tissue as you go.
4. Keep extracting until the blood runs a bit watery or clear. That's when you know you have removed all the bacteria contamination and there is no risk for a reoccurring breakout.

5. Place a small piece of tissue over the extraction site to help clot and avoid infection. You can remove the tissue after 5 minutes

Usage tip: It's key to use your fingers and not nails. And again, stop pushing on the pimple if it seems like it won't budge. Trying to force it will only cause scarring. Play smart!

The result: So yes you gave into an impulse but at least you were smart about it (now let's keep this secret between me and you!).

Birthday Learnings

Again my sincerest apologies for going mia last week but I have a legitimate excuse for my disappearance...it was my birthday! Yes another year older and wiser, which in my book calls for a week long celebration (can you only imagine the non-stop party I had for my 21st?!). So with a big smile and a content heart I want to send a very big thank you to all my loved ones who made it so special..from the tiara and chandelier to drinks in the glass perch and dinner tête-à-tête it was the perfect way to begin a new year. Having said that the one thing that I'm dumbfounded by is that despite no longer being an adolescent my face still serves as a plush home to teen-inspired breakouts! I thought that pimples were exclusively reserved to a time symbolized for awkward kisses, catty girl fights and study hall. But as luck would have it adult acne is a very common problem that plagues a large majority of us.

So you can only imagine my relief when I discovered Skinceuticals Blemish Control Gel. Made with salicylic acid to exfoliate dead skin cells and unclog pores, this vanish gel, as I like to call it, helps clear existing breakouts while simultaneously preventing future ones. As I've divulged to you earlier (afterall there's no secrets between us), my Mediterranean/olive skin is extremely susceptible to hyperpigmentation (dark spots formed in the skin as a result of an injury like a pimple). Fortunately this gel is formulated with a special ingredient which helps prevent the acne induced skin discoloration from ever happening! And the best part? No drying! You know how some acne treatments dry the skin in an effort to remove all the oil causing acne? Well not this one! The gel includes sodium hyaluronate, one of the best ingredients available to help skin retain moisture and prevent drying. In short, during 8 hours of blissful zzz's this gel zaps the pesty pimples so I wake up to my adult clear skin!

Usage tip: You can apply this gel all over or apply as a spot treatment to problematic areas. Use twice daily (in the AM and PM) on a clean, dry face. Wait till the product is thoroughly absorbed before layering your serum, moisturizers, etc.

The result: Bye bye pimples (you should stay in the dusty closet with my high school yearbook!) and hello supple, radiantly clear skin!